Tyee Poll: Should the RCMP Be Monitoring Social Media to Prevent Future Crimes?

Please note that Tyee Barometer polls are only intended as a quick and engaging non-scientific snapshot of our readers' opinions on various topics that fit with The Tyee's very broad editorial mandate. They are not intended to be seen as a representative sampling of BC opinion.

An exclusive story from Bryan Carney revealed that, for at least two years, the RCMP has been quietly using software that that helps them monitor Canadians’ social media activity.

Project Wide Awake has moved from an initial “reactive” approach to a “proactive” approach, RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Tania Vaughan told the Tyee.

“A proactive approach would be to analyze social media to see if there are any indications that predict a crime may occur at the protest and take steps to prevent it from happening, such as increasing police presence,” she said.

“As citizens we have a right to know how exactly and when exactly and under what conditions the state is intruding into our private lives,” said Chris Parsons, a researcher at Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School.

What do you think: Should the RCMP be proactively monitoring social media?

* Please note that all poll answers will be publicly viewable, but anonymous.

Please note that Tyee Barometer polls are only intended as a quick and engaging non-scientific snapshot of our readers' opinions on various topics that fit with The Tyee's very broad editorial mandate. They are not intended to be seen as a representative sampling of BC opinion.

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